1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to trailers pulled by tractor trucks and, more particularly, to trailers having a trailer single bottom floor that extends from the front of the trailer to the rear of the trailer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trailers that are pulled by tractor trucks are well known in the art. Throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to such trailers, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those trailer innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,545,611, 4,693,650, 4,898,418, 4,938,524, and 5,026,112.
Before discussing the above-cited patents, an important issue relating to trailers will be mentioned. Tragic motor vehicle accidents commonly occur between passenger automobiles and trailers. One type of accident occurs when the passenger automobile crashes into the side of a trailer and part of the passenger automobile moves under the trailer. This can be especially tragic because the body of the trailer may shear off the top of the passenger automobile when the passenger automobile moves under the trailer. In this respect, it would be desirable if a trailer were provided with means to prevent or bar a passenger automobile from sliding under the trailer during a crash between a passenger automobile and the trailer.
Turning to the above-cited patents, U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,611 discloses a trailer van body which includes pleated sides. However, no provision is made to prevent or bar a vehicle from being driven under the van body.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,650 discloses a trailer apparatus for transporting vehicles and other cargo. There are two bottom floors levels for the trailer. The first bottom floor level is present at the rear of the trailer, over the wheels, and is also present at the front of the trailer, over the means for attaching the trailer to a tractor truck. A second bottom floor level in present in the middle of the trailer, between the front and rear of the trailer. The second floor level is closer to the ground than the first floor level. The position of the second floor level effectively prevents a vehicle from moving under the trailer in the event of a crash between a passenger automobile and the trailer. However, many trailers that are currently in use do not have a middle portion that is closer to the ground than the front and rear portions of the trailer. In this respect, it would be desirable if a trailer that has a single floor level could be modified to provide a barrier that extends below the middle portion of the trailer to prevent a vehicle from being driven under the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,418 discloses a tri-level refrigerated trailer in which two bottom floor levels are disclosed. The bottom portion of the middle portion of the trailer is lower than the bottom portion of the trailer over the trailer wheels. In this respect, this patent is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,650 discussed above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,524 discloses a trailer gooseneck and curtain side improvements which include a single curved plate at the front of the trailer and twin girders extending substantially longitudinally the length of the trailer. The curtain side improvements are designed to withstand air resistance. However, the side improvements are not designed to withstand an impact of a vehicle that crashes into the side of the trailer. In this respect, it would be desirable if the side curtain of a trailer were designed to withstand the impact of a vehicle that crashes into the side of the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,112 discloses a trailer that has removable side panels. An additional storage area is located below the bottom floor of the middle of trailer. However, the storage area below the middle of the trailer is not designed to withstand the impact of a vehicle that crashes into the side of the trailer. More specifically, the storage area below the middle of the trailer is not designed to prevent a passenger automobile from moving under the trailer in the event of a crash between the passenger automobile and the trailer.
Still other features would be desirable in a trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus. When a passenger automobile crashes into the side of a trailer, the force of impact is received in a substantially transverse direction with respect to the longitudinal direction of the trailer. In this respect, to prevent the passenger automobile from moving under the trailer, it would be desirable if transversely oriented members were provided to resist a vehicle from moving under the trailer in a transverse direction.
Also, to provide wide applicability of a trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus, it would be desirable if a trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus were provided that is easily retrofitted to a conventional trailer. In this respect, it would be desirable if a trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus includes elements that facilitate retrofitting to a conventional trailer.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to have structures which depend downward from the middle of a trailer floor, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) is provided with means to prevent or bar a passenger automobile from sliding under the trailer during a crash between a passenger automobile and the trailer; (2) has provisions for modifying a trailer that has a single floor level to provide a barrier that extends below the middle portion of the trailer to prevent a vehicle from being driven under the trailer; (3) provides a side curtain of a trailer which is designed to withstand the impact of a vehicle that crashes into the side of the trailer; (4) includes transversely oriented members to resist a vehicle from moving under the trailer in a transverse direction; (5) is easily retrofitted to a conventional trailer; and (6) includes elements that facilitate retrofitting to a conventional trailer. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a side entry bar apparatus for mounting on a bottom of a trailer and includes a first set of a plurality of first vertically oriented support bars, each of which has a top end and a bottom end. A first longitudinally and horizontally oriented support bar is connected to the respective bottom ends of the first vertically oriented support bars. A second set of a plurality of second vertically oriented support bars are provided, each of which has a top end and a bottom end. A second longitudinally and horizontally oriented support bar is connected to the respective bottom ends of the second vertically oriented support bars. A plurality of transversely and horizontally oriented support bars are connected between the first longitudinally and horizontally oriented support bar and the second longitudinally and horizontally oriented support bar. A plurality of trailer attachment plates are connected to the respective top ends of the first vertically oriented support bars and the second vertically oriented support bars. The respective support bars are connected together to form a rigid cage structure.
The trailer has a trailer width, and the transversely and horizontally oriented support bars have a transverse bar length which is less than the trailer width.
The bottom of the trailer floor is spaced above the ground by a trailer floor height. The first vertically oriented support bars and the second vertically oriented support bars have a vertical bar height, and the vertical bar height is less than the trailer floor height.
A first set of a plurality of first obliquely oriented support bars can also be provided, each of which has a top end and a bottom end. Bottom ends of the first obliquely oriented support bars are connected to opposite ends of the first longitudinally and horizontally oriented support bar. A second set of a plurality of second obliquely oriented support bars can also be provided, each of which has a top end and a bottom end. Bottom ends of the second obliquely oriented support bars are connected to opposite ends of the second longitudinally and horizontally oriented support bar. A plurality of additional trailer attachment plates are connected to the respective top ends of the first obliquely oriented support bars and the second obliquely oriented support bars.
The trailer attachment plates include bolt reception channels, and the trailer attachment plates can be attached to bottom portions of the trailer using attachment bolts that are threaded through the bolt reception channels.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining a preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which is provided with means to prevent or bar a passenger automobile from sliding under the trailer during a crash between a passenger automobile and the trailer.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus that has provisions for modifying a trailer that has a single floor level to provide a barrier that extends below the middle portion of the trailer to prevent a vehicle from being driven under the trailer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which provides a side curtain of a trailer which is designed to withstand the impact of a vehicle that crashes into the side of the trailer.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus that includes transversely oriented members to resist a vehicle from moving under the trailer in a transverse direction.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus which is easily retrofitted to a conventional trailer.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved trailer-mounted, side entry bar apparatus that includes elements that facilitate retrofitting to a conventional trailer.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.